Time for a story about friendship. Six women from our high school recently got together for a pilgrimage they take regularly to commune with each other for the umpteenth time (one of them could probably give me the exact number of these gatherings; we’re older, so let’s just say the number of times they’ve done this is a lot).
One the face of it, that might not sound unusual. Many of us stay in touch with high school friends, go to reunions, hang out, drive over to see someone to have coffee, dinner or a drink.
What stands out to me about this group of six (and sometimes more) is the commitment they have to each other and their respective friendships (as a group and one-to-one).
I’m not privy to their most intimate conversations. I’m confident though that they laugh, sometimes cry, support each other, do new things to enhance the collective lives. I know them well enough to understand that about them: their desire to be there for each other and enjoy hanging out.
Seems so simple, but elusive in today’s world. I wonder about the magic (can we call it that or is it something simpler like commitment and caring) that keeps all of them connected and supportive.
It’s a marvelous thing they have. You can see it in the photos they share, how they react to each other when you are fortunate enough to share time with them.
While touching base with one of the women recently, we discussed the rejuvenating aspect of getting together with long-term friends. We gain perspective. We see the world a little differently and return to our daily lives with a jolt of joy running through our veins.
As we passed text messages back and forth, I related a recent reconnection for me with a great friend from Marquette, MI.
When we visit, there is a spontaneous release of joy. We’re on the same page, up for an adventure, see a band, dig up dirt, drink beer, be goofy, climb a mountain, listen to his creative piano playing, walk along Lake Superior as 30 MPH winter winds rip through your jacket. It doesn’t matter what we do. What matters is the hang-out time, reliving a few good memories and creating some new ones.
I’ve found over the years that I return from these visits with an improved attitude. There’s a certain purification that goes on, a release of some bad sh…t that may be stored inside, replaced by good sh….t that gives me inspiration. That’s a huge reason for us to gather.
When my high school friend got settled this year in their retreat house, I wrote on her Facebook page that they should rent and watch “The Big Chill.” I’m sure they didn’t because they were having too much fun together.
But, “The Big Chill” says a lot about what it means to stay in touch. with important people in your lives, sharing the bumps and bruises we encounter and celebrating those highlights we savor. Life would be so much less without this.
Those six women from our high school are, quite frankly, amazing to me. I tell them that when I see them. I think it’s unusual to see a group like that remaining so close and actively connected over oh-so-many years. If they could bottle that energy and sell it to others, all of them would be rich many times over. I think they already are rich in spirit, and they probably could care less about the money anyway.
One the face of it, that might not sound unusual. Many of us stay in touch with high school friends, go to reunions, hang out, drive over to see someone to have coffee, dinner or a drink.
What stands out to me about this group of six (and sometimes more) is the commitment they have to each other and their respective friendships (as a group and one-to-one).
I’m not privy to their most intimate conversations. I’m confident though that they laugh, sometimes cry, support each other, do new things to enhance the collective lives. I know them well enough to understand that about them: their desire to be there for each other and enjoy hanging out.
Seems so simple, but elusive in today’s world. I wonder about the magic (can we call it that or is it something simpler like commitment and caring) that keeps all of them connected and supportive.
It’s a marvelous thing they have. You can see it in the photos they share, how they react to each other when you are fortunate enough to share time with them.
While touching base with one of the women recently, we discussed the rejuvenating aspect of getting together with long-term friends. We gain perspective. We see the world a little differently and return to our daily lives with a jolt of joy running through our veins.
As we passed text messages back and forth, I related a recent reconnection for me with a great friend from Marquette, MI.
When we visit, there is a spontaneous release of joy. We’re on the same page, up for an adventure, see a band, dig up dirt, drink beer, be goofy, climb a mountain, listen to his creative piano playing, walk along Lake Superior as 30 MPH winter winds rip through your jacket. It doesn’t matter what we do. What matters is the hang-out time, reliving a few good memories and creating some new ones.
I’ve found over the years that I return from these visits with an improved attitude. There’s a certain purification that goes on, a release of some bad sh…t that may be stored inside, replaced by good sh….t that gives me inspiration. That’s a huge reason for us to gather.
When my high school friend got settled this year in their retreat house, I wrote on her Facebook page that they should rent and watch “The Big Chill.” I’m sure they didn’t because they were having too much fun together.
But, “The Big Chill” says a lot about what it means to stay in touch. with important people in your lives, sharing the bumps and bruises we encounter and celebrating those highlights we savor. Life would be so much less without this.
Those six women from our high school are, quite frankly, amazing to me. I tell them that when I see them. I think it’s unusual to see a group like that remaining so close and actively connected over oh-so-many years. If they could bottle that energy and sell it to others, all of them would be rich many times over. I think they already are rich in spirit, and they probably could care less about the money anyway.
